Using AR, work instructions for 3D object can be created in 3D by overlaying data on top of a physical model or on a separate digital representation of that model. Before these instructions are viewed in AR, they are created by an engineer on a computer. The animations for these work instructions are saved in the metadata of a CAD model, which will be defined in this use case. This allows engineers to do work quicker and more efficiently than reading a manual, be safer when performing the procedures, and reduce having to rework incorrect procedures.

Metadata is a generic term used to describe underlying data that provides information about a certain item’s content. Metadata can come in many different forms and have different names. In the case of Creo and Windchill, metadata is stored in a model’s attributes. These attributes hold data that is unique to each component of the CAD model in an organized and ready to use way. The data in the attributes of a model can be used when calling upon a part in operations using Vuforia Studio and ThingWorx.

Examples of attributes are sBOM ID Path, which explains the location of a part/assembly in the model tree structure, and source file name, which shows the exact name of the file of the part that is being queried. Attributes can be automatically created during modeling in Creo, like the ones listed before, but attributes can also be added to a model manually. This tutorial will explain how to manually add attributes, like individual part numbers, that will correspond to a part number and a sequence number that will be used when creating an experience in Vuforia Studio.

In the first section of this use case, you’ll create a phantom view of a model, create an animated sequence, and add attributes to a model. This tutorial is based off users creating this data from a blank illustration file. Completed Creo Illustrate files named quadcopter101.c3di and quadcopter.pvz are available in GitHub as a point of reference.